Tips and suggestions for your online e-commerce business. We sell online in several marketplace venues. We are writing here to share some of our experiences and hope to help you not make the same mistakes as we have over the years.

Preparation:

Thoroughly mix the garlic with the pepper, salt, and hot pepper; then stir in the parsley and set aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the tomato slices and cook for about a minute on one side; then turn and sprinkle slices with the garlic, hot pepper, and parsley mixture. Continue to cook for another minute, shaking the pan occasionally; then turn the slices again and cook until they are done, but not mushy. Slide the tomato slices onto a plate, and serve immediately.

Note: Do not try to cook more than two servings at a time or the tomatoes will end up overcooked. This type of tomato appetizer is great scooped up onto Arabic bread.

Serves 4.

Chickpea and Olive Appetizer

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas, washed and soaked overnight in 8 cups water

1/2 cup black olives, chopped

1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1 clove garlic, crushed

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation:

Place the chickpeas with their water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat for about 2-1/2 hours, or until the chickpeas are tender. Drain; then place the chickpeas in a salad bowl and allow to cool. (Or, substitute half a 19 oz. can of chickpeas, drained.) Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

It's the time of the year again when we receive many wedding invitations. The Crabby Nook carries a great selection of Home Decor items and Collectibles that make perfect gifts. Many Brides and Grooms are young professionals today and they also appreciate getting gifts that will help them decorate their office. But, most importantly, don't forget the groom when purchasing your gifts!

It is a nice idea to help the couple add to their collectibles or to even help them start a collection. Many times I had young professionals come into my warehouse wanting to purchase sculptures for their home or office and did not know how to go about starting a collection. And, many times a person does not know how to blend a collectible into their normal living decor.

Many are afraid to try mixing cultures in their decor. Most don't realize that 5000 year old continents/countries like Africa and Asia have many similarities in their art and can be easily mixed. One of my favorite decor themes is the "Asian Safari". It is an amazing exotic look when you mix the two together. And since both countries are what we consider "from the Earth" their collectibles blend in very well with todays color schemes.

So, this year, we have to be socially concious, environmentally concious and economically concious in selecting our gifts. The perfect gifts will be hand crafted from natural ingredients that support artists. The Crabby Nook can help you meet all of those requirements.

We continue to carry our swimming pool brushes and thermometers. We have a few pond mini vacs left in stock. And, we have a couple of granite lanterns left in stock. Everything is on SALE and we are taking offers on multiple purchases. Once these items are gone, we will no longer carry this inventory.

We also have some telescopic poles left in stock, but, they are too expensive to ship due to their size. However, if you are in our area you are more than welcome to pick one up for $5. These come in cases of six. We can ship a case more reasonable than we can ship a single pole.

MUSIC: Play soothing music throughout the day to alleviate stress, calm nerves, and keep you relaxed. Try a Norah Jones CD or listen to something purely instrumental so you won’t get caught up in the lyrics.

ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS: Close the door if others are at home with you so that you don’t have to listen to distracting noises. Eliminating unnatural, exterior noise will keep you focused on your work and will allow the chi to move around your room with minimal disruptions.

EVALUATE YOUR REACTIONS TO CERTAIN NOISES. Does the sound of birds chirping keep you relaxed? Does the rumbling dishwasher make you stressed? Evaluate your reactions to everyday noises and then try to accommodate accordingly. Crack the window a little to let in natural noises and drown out that dishwasher. Or, turn up your music to keep out the bothersome weed eater outside.

PICK A ROOM LOCATED FAR AWAY FROM LOUD NOISES. When selecting the perfect room for your home office, pick one that is located far away from loud, distracting noises. For example, if your neighbors are always out on their front lawn playing or visiting, go to a room that’s located at the back of your house. If the neighbor on your left has a dog that barks all day long, choose a room on the other side of the house. Eliminating as much extra noise as possible will help you concentrate.

CANDLES: Light candles to welcome scent and give your office a relaxed atmosphere. The warm flame is a soft, natural representation of fire that also helps you feel cozy.

INCENSE: Lighting incense is another way to bring scent into the room.

GARBAGE: Take out the garbage often to get rid of bad smells that will interrupt your room’s chi. Mildew, garbage, and other noisome scents will also distract you until they are eliminated. Empty out your trash several times each week to keep bad smells from developing in the first place.

CITRUS: Citrus scents like tangerine and mandarin increase the amount of energy in the room, keeping you awake and alert even after hours of work.

GERANIUM and LAVENDER: These soothing scents will calm nerves and help you keep things in perspective.

We know that it has been a while since you last heard from us. We apologize for that! A lot has been going on. In October, we were told that we were getting transferred to Tulsa, OK. Wayne had worked for TWA/AA for 30 years in budgeting for the overhaul base in Kansas City, MO. So, we had an estate sale, packed up our house and traveled to Tulsa to look at housing. In December, Wayne was laid off by AA with the promise that he was still getting transferred to Tulsa, but, AA would be closing the overhaul base in Kansas City. So, we waited and waited.

We did not hear anything from AA. Finally, in April, we downsized and officially moved. Wayne took retirement. It has been a roller coaster ride.

As you know, I have been ill for the last six years and I can tell you today that I am a cancer survivor! The scarey thing was that we did not have insurance after Wayne was laid off and the only way they would give us insurance again was if Wayne took retirement! I had to cancel several appointments with MD Anderson's in Houston, TX during this time because we had to save our money. I was also feeling that if we had not paid out so much in medical co-pay during my illness that we would not be in so much financial stress. I felt that I was a burden to Wayne and this family because of my illness. Miracles do happen!

I don't think AA [American Airlines] treated this airline family respectfully or had our best interest in mind. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that a drastic change in the economy would have effected us like it has. Or, the company that we had been loyal with for so long would throw us away as non-essential.

HOWEVER, The Crabby Nook is back and we are concentrating on our business providing you with wonderful ethnic collectibles for your shopping pleasure! We want to thank our loyal customers for their continued support during these times. Because of you, we are officially back.

New Inventory & GREAT Prices!

Where do I begin? We have added wonderful South American Tagua Nut Ivory carvings. These are wonderful gifts and highly collectible pieces. They are exquisite and you will be more than pleased with the craftsmanship.

Put up family photos To make your home office more inviting, hang up or display photos of you with family and friends. You’ll make yourself more comfortable by seeing familiar faces and recalling fun memories. Use a variety both wood and metal frames to incorporate the two elements.

PAINTINGS: Paintings are also positive additions to your home office. Choose ones that feature garden scenes, landscapes, and other natural designs to invite earth tones and keep you in touch with the environment.

CRYSTALS: Certain crystals like quartz, amethyst, and malachite increase the power of Feng Shui.

FLOWERS: Introducing plant life into your home office will boost your spirits and help balance out the elements. Plants, even flowers, represent wood. Put a potted plant on the windowsill or situate a larger fern or hibiscus plant in a corner to brighten up the room.

BAMBOO: Bamboo also represents the element wood and is considered to be extremely lucky.

FOUNTAIN: Having a small water fountain in your home office is good for many reasons. The sound of the running water will soothe your senses, the water element will be fully represented, the fountain will “attract and trap the chi.”

PLANTS: Having a plant in your home office will do no good if you can’t keep it alive. Dying or dead plants will increase the amount of negative energy, making you feel depressed and frustrated.

Place wall decorations at eye level. Hanging up pictures any old way is a direct infringement of Feng Shui practice. Let all your wall decorations hang at eye level, creating a consistent, organized aesthetic.

Avoid sharp-cornered objects. Sharp-cornered objects are not only potentially harmful, they are also believed to obstruct the pathway of chi. Your desk will most likely have sharp corners, but as long as you are not sitting where they point directly at you, the chi will still be able to flow around you easily.

If it doesn’t have a function, you don’t need it. If your end table doesn’t hold up a lamp or represent any of the key elements, you probably don’t need it. Get rid of any decor that doesn’t serve some sort of Feng Shui function by balancing out the elements, and you’ll free up space and feel better about everything that does belong.

Visit our online store www.thecrabbynook.com for Unique Gifts, Collectibles & Exotic Decor for the World Traveler. Our vast selection of high quality home decor has something for you. Whether you want something to add artistic flair, an exotic touch, or combine storage with decorating, you will find something you will want at The Crabby Nook.

Invest in yourself with a luxury collectible that you will love for years to come and will make you smile every time you walk by.